MINNEAPOLIS (TNND) — The woman killed during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday has been identified by city officials as Renee Nicole Good, 37, as lawmakers argue over who is to blame for the deadly shooting.
Minneapolis City Council confirmed Good’s identity in a joint statement, calling her «a member of our community» and demanding that «ICE immediately leave» the city so that they «can get rid of their chaos and violence that ended the life of one of our neighbors.»
«This morning an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a member of our community,» the statement read. «Anyone who kills someone in our city deserves to be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.»
On her Instagram account, she described herself as a «poet and writer and wife and mom» and was from Colorado but «experiencing Minneapolis.»
Reports from The Associated Press show she was a U.S. citizen and appeared to have never been charged with anything involving law enforcement beyond a traffic ticket.
Her ex-husband told the outlet anonymously that Good had just dropped off her 6-year-old son at school and was driving home with her current partner when they encountered a group of ICE agents.
Video of the incident appeared to show Good driving away during a raid before being shot by an ICE officer, and the Department of Homeland Security argues she tried to use her vehicle as a weapon while agents were trying to make arrests, prompting them to fire in self-defense.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the driver’s reaction «an act of domestic terrorism» and said ICE agents were carrying out lawful enforcement operations. Noem added that the officer, who has not been publicly identified, was hit by the vehicle but was treated and released from the hospital.
Noem encouraged elected officials to denounce the violence against law enforcement and said the shooting «is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement.»
President Donald Trump said the incident stemmed from what he called “radical left” agitation. He also defended the ICE officer’s actions as self-defense and urged greater protection for law enforcement in a Truth Social post.
Her ex-husband described her as a devoted Christian who took part in youth mission trips to Northern Ireland when she was younger. She loved to sing, participating in a chorus in high school and studying vocal performance in college.
She studied creative writing at Old Dominion University in Virginia and won a prize in 2020 for one of her works, according to a post on the school’s English department Facebook page. She also hosted a podcast with her second husband, who died in 2023.
Good had a daughter and her son from her first marriage, who are now ages 15 and 12. Her 6-year-old son was from her second marriage.
Her mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune her daughter was not involved in protests against ICE agents and described her as «one of the kindest people I’ve ever known.»
“She was extremely compassionate. She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being,» Ganger added.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sharply criticized ICE following the death of the woman, saying federal agents should «get the f*** out» of the city.
“They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people,» Frey said during a news conference. «So they are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz urged the public not to “believe the propaganda machine” after viewing the video.
“The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice,” Walz wrote on X.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said officers responding to the scene found the woman with a gunshot wound to the head and attempted life-saving measures, including CPR.
According to preliminary information, O’Hara said, the woman was sitting in her vehicle blocking the roadway when a federal law enforcement officer approached on foot. When the vehicle began to drive away, at least two shots were fired, and the vehicle crashed on the side of the road.
The FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating the shooting.
ICE said the shooting occurred amid what it described as the “largest DHS operation ever” in Minneapolis, with more than 2,000 agents deployed. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said agents had been going door-to-door to companies accused of hiring undocumented immigrants and businesses potentially linked to human trafficking and fraud.
Demonstrators gather during a vigil near where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)
Protests broke out after the deadly shooting, with a viral video showing the burning of an American flag in the streets of Minneapolis.
The City of Minneapolis acknowledged the constitutional right to free expression but encouraged residents and visitors to «show the world a unified, welcoming Minneapolis by demonstrating peacefully and by using your voice.»
